The tenth of eleven children, Norah Wilson had to do something to distinguish herself. That thing turned out to be writing. Norah is the author or co-author of more than ten novels, including Every Breath She Takes (Montlake Romance, Sept. 2012) and the self-published Serve and Protect Series. She is a three-time finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest and won Dorchester Publishing’s New Voice in Romance award. Under the pseudonym Wilson Doherty, she and her writing partner, Heather Doherty, write young adult paranormal fiction. A native Canadian, Wilson lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, with her family.

How Norah Got Started Self-Publishing

Norah has been writing almost 20 years, and the past five with an agent. But apart from a sale to the now defunct Dorchester Publishing in 2003, she had been unable to land a traditional publisher. She tried changing it up, chasing trends. She wrote romantic suspense, paranormal romance, dystopian romance, young adult paranormal and cozy mystery, but nothing sold.

In 2010, she started hearing murmurs about self-publishing and watched an author she respected enormously, Delle Jacobs, jump in. With nothing to lose save maybe her reputation, since in many circles self-publishing was still synonymous with vanity publishing, she followed Delle’s lead.

Between her and her writing partner, with whom she writes the YA paranormal and the cozy mystery, Norah now has eleven books self-published and one by Montlake Romance. Writing and publishing is now her full time job!

Self-Publishing Observations and Tips

• “It’s difficult to predict where self-publishing will go, since the major player, Amazon, keeps introducing game changers just when you think you’ve got it figured out. But indies are pretty resourceful. We just have to keep evolving with the environment.”
• “To be competitive, indie authors need to write quality books and invest in editing, formatting and professional covers. But if your budget is limited, I’d say spring for the best cover you can afford and scrimp in other areas. Why? Because if readers scroll right past the thumbnail of your cover, it won’t matter that the story is flawless.”
• “If you can’t afford professional editing, you may be able to trade services with other authors who have strong editing skills, and get input from good beta readers.”
• “Discoverability is the new mountain to be climbed, and covers help. In fact, I suggest authors think about creating a strong brand for themselves right out of the gate, in an effort to stand out from the pack.”

Learn more about Norah by visiting her website and blog and taking a look at her Amazon author page as well.

Article by Eldon Sarte

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